Apparatus, system and method for wide area networking to control sports lighting

ABSTRACT

A system for electronic scoring and score reporting of a sporting event wherein an electronic scorebook is connected to an electronic scoreboard and electronic storage of the scoring information is provided. In one embodiment, a network is used, sending or receiving information to or from the scorebook, the scoreboard or the electronic storage. In other embodiments, the Internet is used as a conduit to communicate to and from the location of sports field lighting, to control operation of the lighting, or monitor the lighting or other events at the location. The network can also be used for last mile connectivity of end users to the Internet, and to compile information from sporting events at the locations and allow access to information about the game via the Internet.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent Ser. No.09/952,988 filed Sep. 13, 2001, which claimed priority to provisionalapplication U.S. Ser. No. 60/232,338 filed Sep. 14, 2000, thedisclosures of which are hereby specifically incorporated by referencein their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a system and method of providing Internetconnectivity to and through outdoor sports field lighting and outdoorsecurity lighting.

One aspect of the invention relates to a system and method ofcontrolling and monitoring sports lighting and outdoor security lightingand the capability to do so from a remote Internet location as well asusing existing or newly installed elevated outdoor sports field lightingand outdoor security lighting as ready-made wireless hubs for a widearea network.

Another aspect of this invention relates to an apparatus and method foran electronic scorebook. In particular, this invention relates to theuse of an electronic scorebook that stores scoring information for asporting contest and updates a scoreboard with the information. Thisinvention further relates to connecting the electronic scorebook or thescoreboard to a network such as the Internet and accessing theelectronic scorebook and related information remotely. This inventionfurther relates to integrating software that creates audio and/orgraphic description of the recorded information in integrating thatinformation with other related information from other sources such ashistorical information about participants, sports news, and promotions,public service announcements, and advertisements. It could also includevideo images in still or action format.

One goal of sports lighting is to provide bright and evenly illuminatedplaying fields. Similarly, a goal of wide area security lighting is toprovide illuminated parking lots, sidewalks, streets, parks, and otherareas. Providing bright and evenly illuminated lighting requires a greatdeal of control over many aspects of lighting. This control may involvethe need to turn lighting on or off at particular times. This controlmay also involve the need to monitor the condition of lights. Owners ofsports facilities using sports lighting may not have the expertise orqualifications to properly operate these lighting systems and may findit a drain on resources to properly monitor and maintain the lights dueto high cost or other factors.

This problem may be particularly significant for government (e.g.municipality, school district, county, township, state, provincial,territorial, state, federal, city, recreation district, park andrecreation district), quasi-public (e.g. privately run athletic fields,leagues, and other venues) and privately owned facilities. Sports andsecurity lighting is found everywhere from small towns to large cities.A single government unit or sub-unit or private owner may operatemultiple sports lighting and/or security lighting at multiple locationsthus increasing the difficulty in operating and maintaining the lights.

Traditionally, lighting systems are purchased and installed by a groupor entity which is then responsible for operation and maintenance,including turning lights on or off. Substantial administrative and laborburdens are used to keep track of schedules and to have a personphysically go to the site and turn lights on or off and otherwisemonitor and maintain the conditions of the lights.

Furthermore the maintenance and monitoring of lights as well as thecontrol systems used have been limited due to these restrictions. Thecontrol of lights has generally been limited to a manual selection of“on” or “off” or a timer that turns lights on or off at a particulartime. In security lighting, there has also been use of a proximityswitch to turn security lights on or off based on the proximity of amoving object such as a person. More effective features are not usedbecause that would increase the need for maintenance, control andmonitoring.

There is a need in the art to address these problems, particularly asrecreational activities of many types evolve and expand, and more areconducted at times that need artificial lighting.

Attempts are being made to address these issues. One attempt involvesuse of cellular telephone transceivers to receive wireless instructionsfrom a remote control center. If voice channels are used then there isan associated cost of service that is recurring and substantial. If onlythe control channels are used there may need to be an arrangement with aspecialized cellular service that can encode and decode the informationfrom the control channels. One example of such a service is thatprovided by Cellemetry, LLC. Furthermore, given the nature of this typeof solution there are limitations related to the available bandwidth andthe latency of the communication, thereby presenting limits onflexibility and functionality.

Wide area networks such as the Internet provide wide area communicationscoverage. However, hard-wired connections are the normal communicationslink. Hard wiring to date has taken advantage of the existing land linetelephone infrastructure. However, capacity and bandwidth arelimitations, particularly in plain old telephone service (POTS)implementations. Fiber optics and other wire innovations have presentedimprovements. However, there are still limitations, such as lack ofadequate infrastructure and the associated time and cost of creating andmaintaining infrastructure.

Recently, another wire option is use of coaxial cable of the same typeas cable television, as the communications link. Speed, throughput, andbandwidth are improved over analog telephone communications. However,the coverage of cable wiring is not as ubiquitous as telephone lines andmay not be available from a telecommunications provider in all areas.The required infrastructure results in substantial cable installationand maintenance. There is therefore a need in the art for better accessto wide area networks.

Other problems in the art relate to Internet connectivity for generaluses and not just for use in controlling sports lighting. Therelationship between sports lighting and Internet connectivity will bebecome clearer in context of the present invention that solves bothproblems.

One method of providing remote control of devices is the use of Internetbased systems such as found in a multitude of Internet devices andappliances. One example of a Internet control system that permits homeautomation functions such as controlling lights to be controlledremotely via a web browser is the Home Seer product from KewareTechnologies. One problem with extending this type of system to sportslighting is the service cost to provide an Internet connection to thelight control system. Furthermore there are technical limitations tothis type of system. A phone line connection to an Internet serviceprovider is generally not dedicated. When phone lines are not dedicatedat both sides of the connection (Internet provider and Internetsubscriber) then there is not a continuous Internet connection. If theyare dedicated, the service cost will increase, particularly if a longdistance connection is used. Even if such lines are dedicated, there canbe a loss of the connection due to weather conditions and outages.

Digital services can be used to provide an Internet connection that iscontinuous. These costs can be substantial where digital lines are used.

Conventional land line systems have been challenged in some marketsthrough the use of wireless systems. Wireless systems have someadvantages over land line systems such as fiber optic lines, cablelines, and POTS lines. The first advantage is the amount of bandwidth orspeed that a fixed wireless device can provide. For example, if astandard telephone line (POTS) is used in conjunction with a modem, theconnection speed is limited to 56 kilobits per second. This speed can beincreased by using digital lines but there is an associated increase incost and limited availability. Examples of digital lines include digitalsubscriber lines (DSL) connections as well as T1 or T3 connections. DSLconnections typically provide speeds of 768 kbits/second. T1 lines canoperate at speeds of 1.5 Mbits/second, while T3 lines operate at 4.5Mbits/second.

A second advantage of wireless systems is that they do not require thesame communications infrastructure as landline systems. In landlinecommunications, lines must be run from location to location ifpreexisting lines are not available. If the lines are not alreadyavailable, it will take time to build the required infrastructure.Furthermore, the lines will also need to be maintained. Wireless systemsdo not require the same infrastructure required for landline basedsolutions.

Wireless communication can be either mobile wireless or fixed wireless.Mobile wireless communication such as that used in cellular phonesystems permits receivers or transmitters to move around. The movementof the receivers and/or transmitters introduces additional technicalproblems including multipath phenomenon and fading problems as is wellknown in the art. These problems limit the reliability and the speed orbandwidth of a mobile wireless system.

These problems can be overcome by using a fixed wireless system. Despitethese advantages, fixed wireless systems have a significant limitation.Fixed wireless systems require a line of sight transmission from asubscriber to a hub. This need for line of sight requirement is relatedto the frequencies being used. For example, broadband wireless istypically in the bands between 2 to over 40 GHz. At these frequencies,the corresponding wavelength of the radio waves is small. Due to thesmall wavelengths involved, these radio waves cannot effectively becommunicated through physical barriers and are more prone to themultipath phenomenon. Thus there is a need for line of sighttransmission.

The Internet has developed at an amazingly fast rate. What is called theInternet backbone currently provides connectivity points, called “pointsof presence” of the Internet, to most parts of the United States andeven the world, mainly using existing infrastructure such as telephonelines. Significantly high speed/throughput rates are achievable.However, connectivity from the points of presence to the ultimate endusers is still problematic. This is called “the last mile”. Currentlythe “last mile” must use wireline twisted pair telephone lines to reachmost households. Thus, even if there is high speed/throughput to andfrom the points of presence, conventional copper phone lines can nothandle such speed/throughput. They are therefore disappointinglyunsatisfactory in performance. It is simply not cost effective to laysuch things as fiber optic lines to residential homes.

Attempts are being made to overcome this problem by using cable TV linesor satellite signals. However, each has their own limitations andrepresent significant cost.

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide amethod of providing remote control of sports field lighting and securitylighting.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a methodand system of monitoring the status of sports field lighting andsecurity lighting remotely.

It is yet further objective of the present invention to provide a methodand system of providing Internet connectivity to sports field lightingand security lighting.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a systemand method of providing wireless Internet service to subscribers.

Many locations using sports lighting regularly hold athletic events.Examples of common events are baseball, softball, football, and soccer.A record of many of these games is maintained by keeping a scorebook,such as is well known. Many such sports venues also maintain scoreboardsso that players, coaches and spectators can view a summary of the game.

Problems in the art regarding scorebooks and scoreboards are discussedbelow. The relationship of scorebooks and scoreboards will become clearwith regards to a description of the present invention.

In the field of sporting contests, scores and other contest-relatedinformation are recorded. Such information is important for manyreasons. For example, this information is needed in order to determinethe eventual outcome of a contest, including the eventual winner of acontest. In addition, this information is often compiled intostatistics, which are used by both participants in the sporting event,as well as coaches, fans and spectators. This type of information hasgenerally been written in a scorebook in order to keep a record of thesporting event.

Some efforts have been to create an electronic scorebook that can beused to keep score and to replace the handwritten scorebook. Forexample, software can be used on a computer that will permit scoring tobe kept. This also facilitates record-keeping with regards tostatistics. One example of a computer software product that can be usedto keep score for baseball is Fixed It!'s Baseball ScoreBook, e.g.version 2.0C shareware, that operates on a Microsoft Windows platform.

One problem with these prior art types of scorebooks is that it is tooeasy for inaccuracies to exist in the scoring information. For example,where statistics are involved, a written scorebook provides manyopportunities for error in calculations or in transposing numbers andother information. The use of an electronic scorebook can reduce oreliminate calculation errors but also introduces typographical andrelated errors. Furthermore, the scoring may not be done on a timely orcomplete basis, particularly where volunteers are utilized for theprocess.

Furthermore, the software is just dedicated to creating an electronicversion of a conventional scorebook. It does not appear to disclose orteach anything about using the scoring for additional purposes, orenhancing the value of electronically scoring a game by integrating itwith other functions or systems.

Scoreboards provide updated information concerning the status ofsporting contests. For example, at baseball fields, scoreboards willtypically provide the cumulative score, the score for each inning, thenumber of outs in the current inning, the current batters name, thecurrent batter's count and other information, e.g. cumulative hits anderrors per team. This and other scoring information must be entered intoa scoreboard in order for the scoring information to be displayed on thescore board. Also, to begin the scoring the score must record theparticipants names and other related information.

Room for improvement exists with regard to scoreboards. Many are stillmanually operated, which are cumbersome and labor intensive to operate.Errors can occur. Electric or electronic scoreboards also may containerrors based on misinformation to the person entering information to thescoreboard, or mistake by the operator. They also require dedicatedcontrollers and input devices, many times have not other function andnot integratable with other devices or systems.

Therefore, there is a real need in the art for improvement in howscorebooks and scoreboards are maintained for athletic events. There isalso a real need in the art for improvement in the state of the artregarding communication between athletic facilities and participants,players, or other interested parties.

There is a need in the art for utilization of information about a gameor event and integration of the information with other information.

It is therefore an objective, feature or advantage of one aspect of thepresent invention to provide an apparatus, method and system that iscapable of receiving scoring information and both recording scoringinformation and updating a scoreboard according to the informationreceived.

It is a further objective, feature or advantage of the invention toprovide the capability of calculating statistics based on the scoringand related information and updating a scoreboard with the calculatedinformation.

It is a still further objective, feature or advantage of the presentinvention to provide a means for broadcasting the scoring informationover a network.

Yet another objective, feature, or advantage of the present invention isto provide a system for providing information to and from a scoreboard.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide apredefined size summary of the events by selecting what to report froman order of priority and to submit an article to news media forreporting the event.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to several aspects of remotely locatedelevated sports lighting last mile connectivity to the Internet for avariety of advantageous functions.

One aspect relates to apparatus and methods for at least partialwireless communications directed towards remote control of remote widearea lighting. Wireless transceivers can be placed at or near thelocation of a lighting system. A wireless transceiver, within operatingrange the transceiver on the lighting system, provides a wireless linkto the lighting system. The wireless transceiver what will be called atranscriber unit can then be operatively connected to the Internet. Thiscan be by wire or wireless. A central control includes a database ofevents relating to the lighting system such as a schedule for turning onand off. Additionally, remote diagnostics and remote sensing can takeplace providing the central control with intelligence about what isoccurring on site of the lights.

Another aspect according to the invention is the utilization of lightingsystems for wide areas and the means for elevating such lights toprovide an elevated Internet wireless hub for line of sight wirelessInternet connectivity to locations surrounding the lights. The elevatedlights, generally elevated by a pole, provide cost effective structurefor an Internet hub. Such Internet hubs can either be created usingexisting poles or with newly constructed systems. Therefore, dualfunctionality of the pole eliminates the need for a separate dedicatedwireless hub pole.

A still further aspect of the present invention is a system and methodfor providing a wide area network utilizing wide area lighting systempoles or other elevated structure as wireless hub locations. Theproprietor of the lighting systems can cooperate with control centralfor the lighting systems to provide cost effective high speed Internetservice to consumers.

Another aspect includes a method and apparatus for an electronicscorebook. The electronic scorebook is capable of controlling anelectronic scoreboard. In one embodiment, the electronic scorebook iscapable of providing scoring information across a network. In otherembodiments, the electronic scorebook can play an optional part of asystem of communicating information to and from sports fields, compilinginformation about on-going sporting events and the players of suchevent, and using such information to create Internet accessiblesimulations, summaries, or broadcasts of the events; further optionallycombining advertising or third party programming. Still further, thecompilation of information about sporting events from a plurality ofsuch events, as well as information about the players or othersassociated with the event, all sent to a central location, can be minedfor information or can create cumulative statistics or demographicinformation that is useful for a variety of reasons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic view of one exemplary embodiment according thepresent invention, illustrating a central control and multiple devicesthat can access central control via the internet, as well as anelectronic scorebook system and other sensors, monitors, or controllersin wireless last mile communication with a point of presence of theinternet.

FIG. 1B is a high level diagram of the hierarchy of the embodiment ofFIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrating the embodiment applied to aplurality of points of presence, each in turn in communication with aplurality of event sites, each of which in turn can optionally be incommunication with a plurality of end point internet users.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a conventional scorebook.

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of a software application.

FIG. 4 is a representation of a database.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an exemplary timeline fordisplay of information relating to a baseball game broadcast accordingto the invention.

FIG. 6 is an example of a display at a point along the timeline of FIG.5.

FIG. 7 is an example of another display at another point along thetimeline of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of one sports lighting installation,wireless communication with a subscriber unit that is in communicationwith the Internet, and also illustrating the optional feature of usingthe sports lighting installation as a wireless hub for Internet serviceto an area around the sports lighting field.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram view of a system according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram view of a lighting system and remote controlequipment.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of a plurality of sports lighting systemsand Internet hub coverage for a geographic area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

For a better understanding of the invention, a first embodiment will nowbe described in detail. Frequent reference will be taken to thedrawings. Reference numerals and letters will be used in the drawings toindicate certain parts and locations in the drawings. The same referencenumerals or letters will indicate the same parts or locations throughoutthe drawings unless otherwise indicated.

One exemplary embodiment of the present invention contemplates using anelectronic scorebook as a means of providing a record of a sportingevent or contest. For purposes of this example, the sport of baseball isselected. It is to be understood that the present invention contemplatesall sporting events, contests, and their equivalents and all informationthat is kept related to these sporting events, or analogous situations.

In the sport of baseball, scoring information includes the currentinning, the number of runs in each inning, a cumulative number of runs,the number of outs in the current inning, the current count, the resultsof the batter's turn at bat, the status of the batter if he/she gets onbase or scores a run. In traditional scoring, a diagram of the baseballdiamond is used to provide information that is better representedpictorially than by words or numbers alone.

Referring to FIG. 1, a scoreboard 102 is connected to a scoring unit104. The connection may be a wireless connection 103 b or a wiredconnection 103 a. The scoring unit 104 may be connected to a printer 106or other device that can provide output 108 (e.g. hardcopy printout)that includes scoring information, reports, or summaries. The scoringunit is also connected to a computer 110 with memory, e.g. nonvolatilestorage 112. The computer 110 may also be an embedded control or anequivalent. Still further, it could be a portable computer or suchthings as a Palm Pilot or equivalent. The storage element or memory 112may include, but is not limited to a magnetic media such as a harddrive, floppy disk, zip media; optical media such as a CD, DVD; orsolid-state memory.

It is to be understood that the scoring unit 104, output device 106, andcomputer 110 can be connected in a number of ways. For example,scoreboard 102 can be directly connected to a computer through aninterface such as, but without limitation, a serial, parallel, or businterface. The scoring functions of the scoring unit 104 can then beimplemented in software. Similarly, the present invention contemplatesthat the scoring unit may include a keypad, keyboard, or other inputdevice, an optional display, a memory, and interfaces to both scoreboard102 and a control unit 34 such that a separate computer is notnecessary. The present invention also contemplates that the storageelement 112 could be located at the control unit 34 which may also be acomputer, an embedded control or an equivalent.

Control unit 34 can interface with scoring unit 104 as well as inputdevices such as a microphone 122, a video camera 124, or a radar gun125. The present invention also contemplates other types of inputs suchas temperature and environmental sensors as well as other monitoringdevices.

In addition to these devices output devices such as relays 36 can becontrolled. Relays 36 can be used to turn and off sports lighting 4 orsprinklers 120. It is to be understood that other types of devices canbe used. The invention also contemplates that some devices in electricalconnection with the control unit 34 have both input and outputfunctions.

The control unit 34 is electrically connected to sports lights 4 on oneor more light poles 6. On light pole 6 or sport lights 4 there is also atransceiver or base station 8. Transceiver 8 communicates withtransceiver 132 via radio waves 131 which is at what will be called apoint of presence 134. The point of presence 134 can be an Internetservice provider (ISP). The term “point of presence” is commonly used inthe art to indicate the a point of conventional hi-speed connectivity(e.g. fibre optics or T1 telephone line) to the Internet. This providesa wireless connection through the point of presence 134 to a networksuch as the Internet 136. This communication link can be broadband innature and may be line of sight. The height and position of the sportslighting pole 6 permits transceiver 8 to be within line of sight oftransceiver 132.

Control central 138 is also connected to network 136. Control centralalso optionally has a database 140. This database contains scoring andrelated information as will be discussed in greater detail. User devices142 (e.g. PC's or network appliances) are also connected to the network136. When network 136 is the Internet, then users 142 can potentiallyaccess this information from anywhere an Internet connection isavailable, both wire and wireless.

The ability to begin the scoring process by downloading the rosterinformation from a web site is helpful in simplifying the work andproviding useful historical information that can be used to enhance thereporting of the event. Furthermore the access to the internet is aby-product of a wireless system that is made available for purposesrelated to control of the lights and other electrically controlleddevices such as irrigation systems or door locks.

Interconnection and operation of these components is within the skill ofthose of ordinary skill in the art. The components and protocols forcommunication are known in the art.

FIG. 2 is a graphic illustration of one type of conventional score card152, such as available through Fixed It's. It provides an inning byinning template for recording events in the game, including events tiedto each player. As is widely known in the art, certain symbols ornotations indicating certain events or results are used to record thegame. These symbols or notations can then be interpreted to review howthe game unfolded and how the players performed.

For example, symbols such as the diamond 154 can be used to indicatethat player 1 scored in the fourth inning. Other symbols indicate player1 reached base on a walk (BB or base on balls), that the walk occurredon a three balls and one strike count. Other information is given. Thistype of scoring can take many different forms, many of which arewell-known in the art. The method of scoring a baseball or softballscore book is not a part of this invention, and therefore will not befurther explained.

FIG. 3 shows a representation of a graphical user interface that can beused for scoring and related information to be displayed, including whenthis information is displayed at a remote location over the Internet. Itis to be understood that many different types of information can bedisplayed and many forms of software can be used to develop and displaythis information as is well known in the art. For example, and withoutlimitation, the present invention contemplates a Java application, a cgiprogram, a perl script, a JavaScript, or a Visual Basic script forInternet use. FIG. 3 is merely a representative example for baseballinformation. In FIG. 3 there is a title bar 156. There are fouradditional windows or frames. Window 158 shows video of the sportingevent from a certain perspective, e.g. via a digital video camera 24.Although presently it is difficult to obtain the processing speed tosend continuous video, it is contemplated that technologicalimprovements in the field will soon allow the same. A still picture orupdated still pictures and other graphical portrayals are alsocontemplated via a digital still camera 24. It is to be understood thatmore than one video or still shot perspective or view for a givensporting event may be available. One can interject prior taken or otherdigital pictures, video or graphics. Window 160 displays statistics forthe current batter or for a particular player or team. Window 162displays game totals. Window 164 shows scoring for a current play 154.

FIG. 4 displays a possible database 140 in greater detail. The database140 includes one or more tables that may be relational. For example, anevent table 166 contains identifying fields related to an event such asa particular baseball game. One or more of these fields may be containedin one or more additional tables. Each table is defined by a set offields and contains records as is well known in the art.

The present invention contemplates that the database is searchable andthat the searching process may be a predefined search based on eventsthat are recorded such as a batter coming to bat might be preprogrammedto cause a search and reporting of the prior results in this game andfor the season. Thus, for example, key words can be searched in order tofind information related to a game, a player, or other informationmaintained in the database. Other indexing is possible. It is to beunderstood that database 140 also may contain scheduling and maintenanceinformation for the sporting event venue or field or park as well asstaffing and other information.

It is to be further understood that database 140 may also containinformation related to spectators of sporting events, including, but notlimited to, contact information, which events were viewed and when andwhat types of events are of interest. Based on this information,information contained in the database can be used to alert spectators ofrelated sporting events and other information that the spectators may beinterested in receiving.

The present invention contemplates numerous options and embodiments. Theelectronic scorebook of the present invention permits the information tobe entered into an electronic system and stored. Optionally, the presentinvention permits statistics for the current sporting event to beupdated with the scoring information. For example, each batter's battingaverage can be updated following each at bat. Similarly, the batter'snumber of runs-batted-in (RBI's) can be updated. These and otherstatistics are well known in the art.

In one embodiment, the electronic scorebook of the present invention isconnected to an electronic scoreboard at the location of the sportsfield. The scoreboard displays relevant scorebook information. Thus, inthis embodiment of the present invention, scoring information need onlybe input once to be electronically stored and to be displayed on ascoreboard. Displaying the information that is recorded provides theadditional benefit of providing verification of the scoring information.The umpires (or other officials), participants and spectators who see orhear the event and also see or hear the scoring information may detecterrors or omissions and can alert the scorekeeper accordingly therebyassuring that the scorebook recording is timely and accurate. Thepresent invention also contemplates that the scoring information can bemade available in the form of reports that are available at any time.Reports for the sporting event can be made available during orimmediately following the event electronically or in hard copy, or canbe stored such that they can be viewed at any later time.

The ability to electronically store statistics and events about thegame, mined from the process of scoring the game, allows for a varietyof software functions to be written. For example, multiple levels ofinformation could be compiled on request from software. Additionally,different information could be retrieved at different times by thesoftware. For instance, the first appearance of a batter could result indisplay of a certain type of information (e.g. height, weight, hometown). During the second at bat different information (e.g. cumulativebatting average for the season) could be displayed, and so on.

The software could also compile or display different information duringa game based on a software evaluation of certain occurrences during thegame, or the course of the game.

Still further, the compilation of statistics about a game can be stored,accumulated, processed and made available to others. For example,statistics could be sold to a baseball league, a sports network, or evena business such as a soft drink or athletic equipment company.

Other uses of the scoring of the game and statistics are of coursepossible.

In another embodiment, the scoring information or statistics can bebroadcast over a network, such as the Internet. By broadcast, it ismeant to display, mine or retrieve data or signals from the electronicscorebook, from camera 24, or from sources such as other media oradvertising, compile it is an intelligible form, and make it accessiblevia the internet. For example, in almost real time, the box scoring fromthe electronic scorebook can be displayed along with periodic stillpictures (e.g. current balls, current strikes, the current batter, thecurrent pitcher, the spectators, the field), statistics (e.g. regardingthe batter or pitcher or team(s)), audio play by play, or otherinformation or graphics. Thus a simulation of a broadcast of the game ismade via the system. One accessing the web site could “watch” the“broadcast” even if in a very remote location from the actual game. Forexample, a parent away on a business trip could “watch” his/her child'sgame. A grandparent in a far away location could “watch” his/hergrandchild's game.

Optionally, additional information can be broadcast, including withoutlimitation, sports news from another source, advertising and sponsorshipinformation, scheduling information, information for related events,audio of the sporting event, video of the sporting event, directions tothe event location, weather information for the sports field, statusinformation about number of spectators or for lighting, equipment,sensors, and other information. Also still picture information from theevent or continuous video images either segmented or continuous could bedelivered. Also, the invention would permit the input of real time audioreporting such that a youth sports event could allow a youth to learn todo play by play reporting, or trained reporters could supplement theelectronic reporting that is provided by the scorebook features of theinvention. Software would allow the scorebook system to utilize theavailable unused time to provide electronic voice generated messagesfrom the various available sources or to override the live audio whentime is needed for other messages such as scores, news or advertising.Also the scorebook can simultaneously send out video images fromgraphics, still photos, action video, or other images for relatedinformation such as news from other events or advertising. The result ofthe invention would provide the potential to have a broadcast world wideavailable for every event that utilizes a recording system with noadditional effort at the event beyond the normal recording process. Thepresent invention contemplates this information being available in areal-time, delayed, or on-demand basis.

Thus, broadcast of the game can be simulated in a manner that any numberof persons could access the Internet and follow a display of informationabout the game as it progresses. The forms which the display of the gamecan take are almost infinite. One model would be to recreate a scorecardin real time. The Internet viewer could watch as the scorecard isupdated during the game. At the other extreme, live video and/or audiocould report the game.

Additionally, many options exist regarding additional information thatcould be displayed or presented. The information could be textual,graphical, video, audio, or combinations of the same. It could relatedirectly to the game being played. It could relate indirectly (e.g.season batting averages, lifetime batting averages, information aboutthe players or teams, etc.). It could also be unrelated to the game(e.g. advertisements, news, messages, pictures).

Part of simulation of the game could even include computer generatedaudio describing the game based on translation of the entries in theelectronic scorebook. Such a simulated play-by-play audio could includeinformation about players, teams, location; again mined from data in thesystem.

A related embodiment of the present invention includes a database thatprovides scoring as well as additional information. This database ismade available on the Internet for viewing or searching. For example, agrandparent in one location can find that a grandchild has a game at asecond location so that the grandparent can monitor the game. By way ofanother example, a professional baseball scout can search for highschool left-handed pitchers with low earned run averages (ERA's) andhave thrown fastballs at rates exceeding 90 miles per hour and thenmonitor the pitching performance of such pitchers including by way ofoptional video.

The present invention also permits the sports field to receive as wellas send information over the network connection. For example, lighting,irrigation systems, and other facility management functions can becontrolled from a remote location. The present invention alsocontemplates that the electronic scorebook and the electronic scoreboardcan be controlled from a remote location. It is to be understood thatsome functions of the present invention may have restricted or otherwiselimited access. For example, a password may be required to control thescoreboard from a remote location or to turn on sprinklers from a remotelocation. The present invention contemplates the use of passwords andother security measures as are well known in the art.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes advertising orsponsorship information. This information can be displayed on thescoreboard or may be displayed as a part of a remote access. Forexample, when scoring and related information is provided over theInternet, advertising information may also be displayed. The particularadvertising information being used may be selected on the basis of thecurrent scoring and related information. For example, in a baseballgame, certain advertising information may be associated with a home run.Whenever a home run occurs, the associated advertising information canbe simultaneously displayed. Advertising rates or sponsorship costs canbe set according to the desirability of associations with differentscoring information. By way of a further example, advertising orsponsorship information can also be associated with a particular playersuch that when that player is involved in a particular play, theassociated advertising information is displayed.

Still further, by programming, advertising could be interspersed betweenaction events of a game so that the “viewer” of the game is notinterrupted during an event, but in between events. The software couldeven be designed to time its display at regular or irregular intervals,or such that it is visual a certain percentage of a time period. Otheroptions are of course possible.

Thus, a system for electronic scoring and score reporting of a sportingevent has been disclosed which solves problems and deficiencies in theart. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that anysporting event can use the system that has been described. From theforegoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be affected without departing from the spirit andscope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is understoodthat no limitation with respect to the specific embodiment illustratedherein is intended or should be inferred. The terms and expressionswhich have been employed herein are used as terms of description and notof limitation. There is no intent in the use of such terms andexpressions to exclude any future equivalents of features shown anddescribed herein, but it is recognized that various modifications arepossible within the scope of invention now claimed.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a system of sportsnews that is providing from one source but can be input into eachindividual events broadcast by selecting it on a real time basis from anavailable data base that is continuously updated from a single source.The news data can be classified in the data base by type of event andselected by the scorebook system based on its relevancy or by apredefined arrangement that is programmed into the scorebook. Forexample, if a sponsor such as Major League Baseball agreed to providethe scorebook system to a baseball league then the scorebook systemcould be set to report MLB scores and information in conjunction withthe broadcast, thereby giving MLB the opportunity to promote its sportto the listening/viewing audience, on-line over the internet or to thelive audience at the game by streaming information on the field'sscoreboard message line.

An exemplary embodiment of remote monitoring and control of lightingequipment will now be discussed again in the general environment ofsports lighting located at a sports field. As shown in FIG. 1, and moreparticularly in FIG. 8, a sports field 2 has sports lighting 4 locatedon a light pole 6. The sports lighting can be, but is not limited to,any of a number of commercially available systems, including, withoutlimitation, light structure as available from Musco Corporation. FIG. 8diagrams one light-pole 6 with one array 4 of twelve lighting fixtures(indicated by circles). Normally a sports lighting installation wouldhave several poles 6 each elevating an array 4, spaced apart and aimedto provide coverage of the entire field and the volume of space abovethe field. Similarly, for security lights, there is especially wide areasecurity, there are normally several elevating structures with one ormore lights at the top of each structure. Normally each array of lightswould be tied in to a central electrical junction box which wouldinclude switches or relays to provide a centralized control for theentire lighting system for that area. For purposes of simplicity, FIG. 8shows a single pole 6 and array.

The light pole 6 can be any of a number of commercially available poles,including light structure as available from Musco Corporation. Theheight of the pole is such that a line of sight communication can beestablished between a base station 8 located on either the lighting 4 asshown in FIG. 8, but may also be located on the light pole 6. The basestation 8 is best shown in FIG. 9.

Returning to FIG. 8, the base station 8 transmits radio waves 10 to awireless transceiver 26 located on a subscriber unit 12. Subscriber unit12 is also shown in FIG. 9. The subscriber unit includes wirelesstransceiver 26 connected to a network interface unit 27 that isconnected to an Internet device 18.

As shown in FIG. 9, base station 8 transmits and receives radio waves 10to and from a subscriber unit 12. Internet packets can be sent from theInternet backbone 24 to Internet device 18 in the subscriber unit 12 inthe following manner: first, the information is sent on the Internetbackbone 24 which is electrically connected to a switch 22 within baseunit 8. Switch 22 is electrically connected to network interface unit 16which is electrically connected to transmitter/receiver 20. Theinformation is sent via radio waves 10 to subscriber unit 12. Withinsubscriber unit 12, wireless transceiver 26 receives the radio signal10. This information is then sent through network adapter 27 to theInternet device 18. Information can be sent from subscriber unit 12 tobase station 8 and, in turn, to Internet backbone 24 in a similarmanner.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a light system 4 controlled remotely.Lights 4 are connected to a control unit 28. Control unit 28 can behoused within the lighting system 4 or may be external as shown best inFIG. 10. Control unit 28 can be, but is not limited to, a computer,microcontroller, or digital controller based system. Control unit 28interfaces to a communications link 30. Communications link 30 can be,without limitation, a land line system, a telecommunications link, acellular link, a satellite link, or a radio link. A remote station 32 isalso connected to communication link 30 such that remote station 32 cancontrol and monitor light system 4.

Thus, FIG. 8 illustrates how a lighting system 4 can communicatewirelessly to and from a subscriber unit 12. By referring to commonlyowned, copending U.S. Serial Provisional No. 60/142,109, to inventorsCrookham et al., a detailed explanation of a number of different controlinstructions that could be sent from subscriber unit 12 to base station8 relative to functioning of lighting system 4, are disclosed. Suchinstruction range from turning lights 4 on and off at scheduled times,to keeping track of the time the lights are on, gathering data about thelights or conditions around the lights, etc. Subscriber unit 12 islinked to the Internet to allow cost effective high speed communicationsto a central control where a database is maintained relative to lightingsystem 4 and the events associated therewith. Band width of suchcommunications links allows a significant amount of information to becommunicated at the low cost of Internet communications. Because theInternet can utilize existing infrastructure, such as land linetelephone, minimal additional components are needed. The wireless linkfrom the subscriber unit 12 to base station 8 eliminates the need forhardware or direct wire connection, thus saving that capital cost.

FIG. 8 also illustrates how base station 8 can function as a wirelesshub for a plurality of locations around base station 8. The elevation ofbase station 8 on pole 6 provides a range of line of sight wirelesscommunication with a plurality of transceivers 14 at location (e.g.residential houses or businesses 15) throughout the line of sight areaserved by elevated base station 8 (this area is indicated in FIG. 8 byreference number 11). For example, base station 8 elevated 60 to 100feet would have line of sight wireless communication ability for up to 5to 10 miles depending on terrain. For an average density of populationmunicipal area, this can translate into approximately 10,000 households.One base station 8 can therefore perform as a wireless Internet hub fora substantial number of Internet end users.

FIG. 11 illustrates that a plurality of base stations 8A-I could beplaced on poles 6A-61. Each base station 8 could serve as a Internet hubfor an area 11. Cumulatively, base stations 8A-8I could cover asignificantly large geographic area 13 by each essentially covering acell 11A-11I within geographic area 13.

The components to operate the system according to the present inventionare commercially available as off the shelf components.

The present invention addresses a number of problems in sports lightingas well as wireless communications. Fixed wireless communicationprovides a viable alternative to local services provided by wirelinelocal exchange carriers, including Internet services. However, due tothe high frequencies used in providing typical wireless broadbandservices, there is a technical problem in that transmitters andreceivers must be in line of sight of each other. Local landowners maynot always be reasonable and nondiscriminatory in providing access toright of ways, buildings, rooftops, and other facilities that couldaccommodate fixed wireless transmissions. Furthermore, local laws andpolicies may work against the construction of poles, towers, or othermeans of accommodating a transmitter/receiver at a height in which lineof sight can be provided to a significant area.

Sports fields that use sports lighting are located around the countryand around the world. Sports lighting is also located in ruralcommunities as well as large cities. In addition, municipalities orother sports field owners have a great interest in the community and mayrecognize a need for community Internet access.

The present invention, by providing Internet connectivity to controlsports lighting, in addition provides an effective means of providingInternet communication via fixed wireless technology to a number ofsites or subscribers as well. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, the status of the sports lighting system is controlledthrough the Internet. This control can include turning lights on or offat a pre-defined time. This control can include increasing or decreasingthe intensity of certain lights at a given time. This control couldinclude rotating lights as well.

An additional embodiment of the present invention includes monitoringthe status of lights. This may include determining which lights are onor off. Monitoring may include determining the current intensity of alight. Monitoring may include observing the voltage or current levels inthe lights to determine if light bulbs are out.

Another embodiment combines the ability to monitor as well as controlthe sports lights system in order to provide control based uponmonitored data.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides this control tobe Internet control from a remote site. This permits central control ofa multitude of lighting systems. This also provides the potential ofhaving qualified individuals control all lights. This would in addition,provide the maintainer of the lights with instant notice of when anon-site inspection may be needed. For example, monitoring may revealthat certain lights are burnout, thus those bulbs would needreplacement. In addition, the time of use for each bulb could bemonitored. Thus if certain bulbs had exceeded their average lifeexpectancy, they could be preemptively replaced to ensure continuouslighting. These advantages and others will permit sports lightingsystems to be more closely monitored and thus, sports lighting will beless likely to be interrupted in service.

This ability to remotely monitor and control sports lights requires somecommunications link between the control site and a remote site. Thiscurrent invention uses an Internet-based method to provide distinctadvantages over the prior art. When control can be accomplished over theInternet, sports lights at one or multiple locations can be monitoredand controlled from any Internet location.

An Internet communications link at the sports light can be accomplishedin a number of different ways. In one embodiment, a land line could beconnected to the sports light. For example, a POTS line and a modemcould be used to provide a communications channel. In anotherembodiment, a cellular phone line and a modem could be used to provide acommunications channel. Another embodiment would use a wireless linkbetween the light system and a control computer, or another computer andthe

The system discussed above provides the following possibility. Owners orproprietors of lighting systems such as sports lighting systems orsecurity light systems, could utilize existing or newly built elevatedlighting systems to elevate a wireless base station 8. The proprietorcould serve as basically a local Internet service provider or couldcooperate with a party at a central control to jointly be an Internetservice provider. Many time municipalities or governmental entities suchas park and rec departments are proprietor of the facilities andlighting systems for the facilities such as sports fields and the like.One possible scenario is that the municipality or government entitycould utilize the elevated base stations 8 as Internet hubs and charge areasonable but economical fee to subscribers in the area of the basestation 8. This would provide Internet service at high band width toareas at a cost effective rate for the betterment of communities.

1. A system for remote control of a sports light comprising: a sports field light; an electronic controller electrically connected to the sports light; a remote station; a network communication device operatively connected to the electronic controller; a communication channel operatively connecting the remote station and the network communication device;
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications channel is a broadband transmission.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the network is a wide area network.
 4. The system of claim 1 where in the network is the Internet.
 5. The system of claim 1 further comprising: one or more sensors electrically connected to the Internet communication device.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the Internet communication device is further used for: receiving signals from the sensors processing the signal into status information and sending the status information to the remote station.
 7. A method of control of sport field lighting comprising the steps of: sending a command from an Internet connected remote station; receiving the command with an Internet communication device; creating a control signal based on the command; applying the control signal to a sports light.
 8. A method of providing high speed Internet access to a plurality of geographical areas comprising: utilizing existing or newly constructed members for elevating lights to elevate a wireless transceiver; rating a communications link between the wireless transceiver and the Internet; operating the wireless transceiver as an Internet hub for wireless Internet communications to a range of locations relative to the wireless transceiver.
 9. An electronic scoring system comprising: a scoreboard for displaying scoring information and other message information; a scoring entry unit for entering scoring information; a non-volatile memory for storing scoring information; wherein the scoreboard is electrically connected to the scoring entry unit and the non-volatile memory is electrically connected to the scoring unit.
 10. The electronic scoring system of claim 1 further comprising a communications network, wherein the communications network is capable of connecting to the scoreboard, the scoring entry unit, or the memory or the storage unit of a web site which is accessible via a last mile connection system that is otherwise useable for the sports field for operational purposes of control of the facility.
 11. A sports field light capable of remote control from a distant location, the sports field light comprising: at least one lighting element for providing illumination to a sports field; an electronic controller operatively connected to the at least one lighting element for controlling operation of the at least one lighting element; a network communication device operatively connected to the electronic controller for receiving control instructions from the distant location over a network and sending the control instructions to the electronic controller over the network.
 12. The sports field light of claim 11 wherein the electronic controller is adapted to send status information to the network communication device.
 13. The sports field light of claim 12 wherein the network communication device is adapted to send status information to the distant location.
 14. The sports field light of claim 11 further comprising a support structure, the at least one lighting element operatively mounted on the support structure.
 15. The sports field light of claim 14 wherein the support structure includes a light pole.
 16. The sports field light of claim 11 wherein the network communication device is an Internet communication device adapted for TCP/IP communications.
 17. The sports field light of claim 11 further comprising at least one sensor operatively connected to the electronic controller, the electronic controller adapted to receive a signal from the at least one sensor.
 18. The sports fields light of claim 17 wherein the electronic controller provides sensor information to the network communication device and the network communication device is adapted to send the sensor information over the network.
 19. The sports field light of claim 17 wherein the sensor is an environment sensor.
 20. The sports field light of claim 19 wherein the environment sensor is selected from the set comprising a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a windspeed sensor, and a precipitation sensor.
 21. The sports field light of claim 17 wherein the sensor is an image sensor.
 22. The sports field light of claim 21 wherein the image sensor is selected from the set comprising an imaging element, a CCD camera, and a video camera.
 23. The sports field light of claim 17 wherein the sensor is a transducer.
 24. The sports field light of claim 23 wherein the transducer is selected from the set comprising an audio transducer, a microphone, and a pressure transducer.
 25. A system for remote control of a sports light comprising: a sports field light; an electronic controller operatively connected to the sports field light; a network communication device operatively connected to the electronic controller; a remote station positioned at a distance from the sports field light; and a communication channel operatively connecting the remote station and the network communication device.
 26. The system of claim 25 wherein the communications channel is a broadband transmission.
 27. The system of claim 25 wherein the network is a wide area network.
 28. The system of claim 25 wherein the network communication device is an Internet communication device and the network is the Internet.
 29. The system of claim 25 further comprising: one or more sensors electrically connected to the network communication device.
 30. The system of claim 29 wherein the network communication device is further used for receiving signals from the sensors processing the signal into status information and sending the status information to the remote station.
 31. The system of claim 25 further comprising a scoring unit in operative communication with the network communication device.
 32. The system of claim 25 wherein the remote station is a scoring unit.
 33. The system of claim 25 further comprising a scoreboard in operative communication with the network communication device.
 34. The system of claim 25 further comprising a scoring unit in operative communication with the network communication device and a scoreboard in operative communication with the network device, the scoring unit adapted to receive sporting event information and send sporting event information to the network device, the scoreboard adapted to operatively receive sporting event information from the scoring unit.
 35. A method of control of sport field lighting comprising the steps of: sending a sports light command from an Internet connected remote station; receiving the sports light command with an Internet communication device; creating a sports light control signal based on the sports light command; applying the sports light control signal to a sports light.
 36. The method of claim 35 wherein the sports light command activates one or more lighting elements within the sports light.
 37. The method of claim 35 wherein the sports light command deactivates one or more lighting elements within the sports light.
 38. The method of claim 35 wherein the sports light command queries one or more sensors within the sports light.
 39. The method of claim 35 wherein the sports light command sets one or more timers within the sports light.
 40. The method of claim 35 further comprising receiving a verification signal from the sports light after the step of applying the sports light control signal.
 41. A method of providing high speed Internet access to a plurality of geographical areas comprising: utilizing existing or newly constructed structures for elevating lights to elevate a wireless transceiver; creating a communications link between the wireless transceiver and the Internet; and operating the wireless transceiver as an Internet hub for wireless Internet communications to a range of locations relative to the wireless transceiver.
 42. The method of claim 41 further comprising: sending Internet communications over the communications link to the wireless receiver for controlling the lights.
 43. The method of claim 41 further comprising: sending Internet communications over the communications link from the wireless receiver containing the state of the lights.
 44. The method of claim 41 wherein the lights are sports field lights associated with a sports field.
 45. The method of claim 44 further comprising sending sports information associated with the sports field over the communications link.
 46. The method of claim 45 wherein the sports information is selected from the set comprising sports scores, player information, team information, sports statistics, and sports updates. 